Just Became a Vampire, I Clinged to Life by Grinding Health

Chapter 7: Slay the Attendant! Talent: Damage Absorption!

Wasting no second, Veridian's body transformed into a fleeting shadow, swiftly moving through the confined chamber.

He rummaged through the wooden box, pulling out several rotten but still sturdy pieces of wood, and then manually stripped several of the toughest tendons from the giant crocodile's body.

His movements were precise and efficient, his mind already constructing a perfect chain of deadly traps.

Step one, the tripwire.

He crafted a tripwire from tendons, nearly blending into the ground's foul water, with one end connected to the trigger of a hunter's crossbow he found in the box.

The crossbow was cleverly secured by stones in an excellent shooting position. The bolts were coated in the foul, decaying blood of the giant crocodile, enough to cause sepsis.

The arrowhead was precisely aimed at the entrance of the passage, targeting the most vulnerable part of an adult's leg—the calf.

Step two, the lure.

After everything was set up, he picked up a sharp stone fragment and struck it heavily on the metal door plate of the alchemical gate.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The crisp and loud impact sound echoed far into the empty sewer, perfectly simulating the illusion of someone violently breaking down the door.

Step three, the hunting spot.

After doing all this, he didn't hide near the trap but quickly retreated to the deepest part of the secret room, vanishing into a dark corner piled with scraps and junk.

Here, it was a blind spot for vision, as well as a dead zone for sound transmission.

He became a statue merged with the darkness, completely suppressing his breathing and heartbeat, patiently waiting.

The crying behind the wall abruptly stopped.

The man who was committing the violence also stopped his actions.

Immediately after, a hoarse, distorted male voice came from behind the wall, laced with a hint of caution and suspicion: "Who? Who is there? Did Lord Urogue send you?"

Veridian did not respond.

Silence spread in the darkness.

Finally, after about five minutes, a completely different set of footsteps came from the distant water sounds of the sewer.

The footsteps were light, making almost no splashes as they stepped in the wastewater, moving with an extremely cautious posture, silently approaching the Alchemist Gate.

The fish are hooked.

A glint of hunter's excitement flashed in Veridian's crimson eyes.

Footsteps stopped at the gate.

The person was very cautious, lingering at the door for a full half-minute as if confirming something.

After a moment of hesitation, the secrets that may exist in the secret room finally overcame his vigilance.

A boot clad in leather slowly stepped into the range of the trap.

Whoosh!

The taut animal sinew was triggered instantly!

The steel crossbow arrow smeared with the rotten blood of the giant crocodile drew a straight line of death in the air, shooting accurately at the calf of the comer!

“Puff!”

The dull sound of a sharp object piercing flesh.

Followed by a muffled groan, forcibly suppressed, and the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.

Success.

But Verdian remained motionless.

The true "Nether King," will always set his enemies as "full-health shadow kings."

He waited quietly, like a lifeless, icy rock.

After a full minute, he finally heard the sound of armor scraping as the other struggled to rise, along with low curses.

The time is right.

He slipped out of the shadows like a phantom, appearing silently in the center of the secret chamber, his second crossbow arrow already nocked, the cold tip aimed at the struggling figure.

The visitor was a mercenary in shabby leather armor, with a strong build, a face full of flesh, and fierce eyes.

At that moment, an arrow was embedded in his left leg, the foul-smelling blood staining his pants, making him look disheveled.

He was looking around in terror when he saw the Veridian, who emerged from the darkness, dressed in ragged noble attire, his face pale, yet his eyes terrifyingly bloodshot, his face filled with utter disbelief and horror.

“Who are you? How could someone like you, a noble, be in the sewer?” The mercenary barked threateningly, his hand sneakily reaching for the dagger at his waist.

A dark blue panel appeared in front of Verdian at the right moment.

【Detected target's soul tainted with "Sin": Greed (Level 2), Killing (Level 2), Lust (Level 3)】

Confirmed.

Regarding the "experience points" of the moving target, Verdian had always been too lazy to waste words.

He pulled the trigger expressionlessly.

Whoosh!

The second crossbow arrow tore through the air, guided by precise calculations, piercing the mercenary's other leg and pinning him firmly to the ground, completely depriving him of all mobility!

“Ah!”

This time, the excruciating pain overwhelmed the mercenary, forcing out a heart-wrenching scream.

That scream was as if a signal.

The crying from behind the wall echoed again, tinged with a hint of hope and urgency.

Meanwhile, that hoarse male voice roared excitedly again, "Kill him! Quick, kill him! That bastard is a lackey of 'Butcher' Ugu! Kill him, Ugu-sensei will surely reward you handsomely!"

Veridian ignored the noisy goading from behind the wall, walking step by step, neither hastily nor slowly, toward the mercenary lying on the ground, utterly despaired.

The mercenary wildly swung the dagger in his hand, making a final struggle.

Veridian didn't even bother to dodge, casually lifting his foot, accurately kicking his wrist.

A crisp snap, and the dagger flew from his hand, landing in the filthy water.

In the face of absolute power and overwhelming composure, all struggles seemed utterly laughable.

The mercenary's eyes were filled with terror as he stared at the ever-approaching, emotionless crimson eyes, feeling the true essence of death.

The next second, sharp fangs pierced through his thick neck.

A scorching tide mixed with guilt and vitality surged into Veridian's body like a broken dam!

【Ding! [Blood Siphon] Proficiency +75!】

【Ding! [Endurance of Pain] Proficiency +60!】

【Ding! [Resistance to Holy Light] Proficiency +50!】

【Ding! [Combat Skills] Proficiency +80! Current: 388/400 → 468/400!】

A torrent of proficiency notifications rushed across his interface.

He could clearly feel, with every inch of his muscle and every bone, being further reinforced by this surge of power!

However, the real surprise was just beginning!

Just as he drained the last drop of blood from the mercenary, a previously unprecedented prompt, rendered in dazzlingly brilliant golden light, exploded before his eyes!

【Ding! Detected Skill [Resistance to Blow] Proficiency has exceeded the current level cap under the inffusion of massive experience!】

【[Stamina] proficiency has reached MAX!】

【If the conditions are met, start to make qualitative changes in talent!】

【Quality Transformation Complete!】

【Congratulations, host! You have obtained your second permanent talent: [Talent · Damage Absorption (Beginner)]!】

[Talent · Damage Absorption (Beginner)]: A passive talent. Your body structure has undergone a qualitative change, allowing you to convert some of the blunt force damage you receive into your own life force for recovery.

Veridian's body trembled violently, a nameless surge of ecstatic joy exploding from the depths of his soul!

Success!

Following [Hardened Skin], his second immortal cornerstone has now been forged!

This means that if the enemy hits him with a blunt object, not only will it not cause effective damage, but it will give him "blood recovery"!

He glanced at the mercenary lying on the ground, already turned into a dry corpse, elegantly wiped a corner of his mouth, and then kicked it into the bottomless, blood-stained current of the nearby sewer.

Disposing of the body was a primal instinct ingrained in the genes of the King of Scavengers.

After completing all this, the voice behind the wall also fell into a deathly silence due to this bloody and direct scene.

Silence lasted for a long time.

Just as Verdian thought the other party had been utterly frightened, that hoarse male voice suddenly rang out again, in a completely different tone, filled with awe and fanaticism.

"Powerful, too powerful!"

"Sir! You must be some noble vampire aristocrat! Please save me out of here! I'm not a human, I'm the mortal enemy of the 'Butcher' Ugu, an underling of the 'Mycelium Lord'!"

“Just let me out, and I’ll tell you where the true lair of the butcher Ugu is! He’s hoarded ten years of 'sin essence' there! It’s enough to double your power!”

Viridian’s steps abruptly halted.

His crimson eyes instantly blazed with an unprecedented light.

Sin essence?

Make the power, double again?

He slowly turned around, looking at that cold stone wall, a joyful and dangerous smile spreading across his lips.

Now, this is really interesting.